Heart Of gold
by mrs-commodore
Summary: Alex Cullen needs to help a ex-girlfriend
1. Default Chapter

Heart of Gold  
  
DISCLAIMER: 'The Bill' characters and original plot depicted in this story  
is copyrighted to Thames Television/Pearson Corp  
  
Kate Spears was sat at her desk filling in some reports DI Cullen has asked her to do." Why me, why. Did I do something bad in a past life!" "Kate done those reports yet?" "No, not yet Guv" "Well I want them on my desk by refs. OK?" "Guv!" Just then Tom Chandler walked in. "Kate everything OK? No problems?" Alex looked at him, then looked at Kate. "No Sir everything's fine, " Kate said while smiling "Good, what about you Alex?" Alex looked at Kate then looked back at him, and did a head swing in the way of his office, implying they should talk in there. "Are you serious about Spears!" Alex outbursts "Everyone in the station knows there's something going on, walk into the canteen and there're all talking about it!" Tom looks at Alex in amazement, in all the time he has known Alex, he has never stood up to him. Then it came, that three-letter word that when Alex said it, it became an insult and sent chills down Tom's back "Sir!" Just then the door knocked, and Kate put her head around the side of the door "Guv! There's someone here waiting to talk to you urgently!" Alex looked at Chandler in a way that implied that he had no idea who this person was." OK Kate send this person in!" Then a little boy aged six, and no taller than four-foot stood in front of the office door that was now closed. His clothes where old and tatty, he had shoes on that were obviously too small for him. With his blue eyes and ruby hair he looked at the DI, and looked at the floor in embarrassment of his clothes front. "D...Dad... hello again... I need your help, well mum does!" Alex stood there open mouthed as Chandler "Jake... what the hell are you doing here!" Alex walked towards the cold wet and starving boy, who had been neglected. "What the hell happened to you, and what's this about your mother needing me?" Cullen took of his jacket and put it over his son's shoulders, and sat him on top of his desk. "Sir could we do this another time, and could I have about and hour off?" Chandler looked at him nodded, and walked in the direction of the door, and closed it firmly. Alex turned his attention back to the six-year-old boy. "So are you going to explain how you got here and why!" "Mum's boyfriend, Mark, he keeps hitting her and he treats me and her very badly, he takes my pocket money and uses it to bet on horse races. When I went to see her later that day, she was crying, I said that I should come and get you but she was too scared to leave the house as he might hurt me, and if she left with me. He said he would hunt me down and kill me!" Suddenly Jake started crying and fell into his father's arms. "I saw a policeman and asked if he knew you he said yes and brought me here, and took me to Kate who took me upstairs to see you." "Why didn't you tell Kate or the policeman?" "They wouldn't understand!" "All right...All right I'll get some policemen to help me arrest Mark for GBH. I'll also rescue your mum!" Alex looked at his son, who was now holding his father tightly. "I love you Dad, I knew you would help us"  
  
"Open up this is the police!" The door shot open and the three police officers raided the house looking for Mark, who was walking down the stairs" What the hell is going on!" Then he saw Jake and Alex. "You stupid..." "Mum, Mum!" Jake ran upstairs while Alex arrested Mark "Take him back to the factory lads!" "SIR" TREV shouted Jake ran as fast as his little legs could take him, he ran to his mothers bedroom and ran towards the side of the bed, where she was lying," Mum I saved you, Dad saved us!" Alex ran up towards the room where his ex- girlfriend lay, the only woman he had only truly loved. "Charlotte, you all right." Charlotte sat up and held her son tightly, while thanking God he and she were OK she looked at Alex. The man she had once loved the man who looked after her and Jake since they met. "Alex, I'm so glad to see you again!" Charlotte held out her arm to hug him to, but just as he leaned in Danny walked in "Guv, we're off now. The Super's asking for you to get back." Alex rolled his eyes and asked Danny to tell him what's happened. "Ask him if I can have another hour off, just for today. I got some personal problems" As Danny left the room, Alex turned his attention back to Charlotte and Jake. While Charlotte held her son tight rocking his back and forth, she glanced at Alex who was looking out the window. "Thank you so much Alex" she started to break into tears "I'm so sorry I'm so stupid I left you for him..." "It doesn't matter now, what matters is that you're safe." He walked towards the bed "do you have anywhere to go?" She looked at him worried, she hadn't thought about that, she looked back at her son, who was now falling asleep. "I don't know I...I find somewhere – a B+B or something" "Oh yeah and how much is that gunna' cost!" He sat next to her on the bed and put his arm around her" Look come and stay with me if you like? I got a spare room you and Jake can sleep in" "I don't think so Alex, we'll be in you hair!" Charlotte looked at her son and stroked his hair Alex looked to the ground and started playing with his fingers, Charlotte knew that meant he was nervous, "I don't mind, really I don't it's nice to see you two again." "Well if your sure, we'll go when we get somewhere to live. I promise!"  
  
As Alex packed the last of Charlotte's and Jake's belongings, Jake sat on the back seat admiring the leather seats and CD player in the front, while his mother sat in the front seat trying to make herself appealing in the passenger side mirror. A load thump from the boot came and Alex opened the driver's door and sat down. "Well that's everything packed." He started the engine "Do you two wanna' stop off somewhere to get something to eat, you look hungry!" Charlotte looked at Alex, and then looked at her son who was nodding madly, "Yeah I think Jake's a bit hungry" She pulled her purse out of her coat, and opened it with shaking hands. Alex glanced to the side to see what she was playing with. "What, no...no I'll pay. It's on me" "Oh are you sure!" "Yeah, look we need a statement to put him away... Will you do that?" Alex said while looking at her and the road. "Yeah, so we get something to eat, then go to make this statement and then go to your place" "Yeah, do you wanna ride in a police car, with lights and sirens J?" "Yes" Jake, said in excitement.  
  
When they arrived, Alex opened the door to let Jake and Charlotte out in one motion. "Here we are, Charlotte I'll take you though..." Alex spotted the popular area car driver, "Um, Tony you busy?" "Not really Guv why?" "Well can you take Jake here around in a police car?" Yeah no problem, but only if he gives me a hand washing it?" Jake looked at his dad "Yeah please ohh please!" Cullen laughed, "Well we'll see you later then?" Alex gently held Charlotte by her arm, and said in a soft voice, "Come on, This way", and indicated the way though the yard. Alex led her towards the interview rooms and stopped before he got there, "What's wrong Alex?" Charlotte looked confused "I can't help in the interview, I can't be seen interfering with the case, sorry buts that's the rules. I'll meet you in my office, when the interview is finished I'll ask someone to take you up there." Charlotte nodded quietly; "I'll see you later then?" She smiled and walked into the room. Alex was sat in his office with just a cup of coffee, his son colouring some picture he had drawn earlier and he was doing some sort of paperwork. Then the door knocked. "Guv, the interview finished and Charlotte is here as you wished, shall I bring her in?" Cullen stood up and went towards the door. "How did it go? Did you tell them everything?" He opened the door wider so she could walk in pasted him. "Yeah, they said I'll take a while to get evidence and all that but there's a good chance they will get him put away!" She walked over to her son and held him tightly, "Jake mummy loves you so much." She turned around to face Alex who was walking over to his chair. "Alex, are you sure about letting Jakey and me staying for a while? Because if you've changed your mind..." Cullen interrupted her before she could go any further.  
  
"Look I meant every word I said. I don't mind, really I don't." Charlotte smiled again; still holding her son tightly who was still colouring in. Then suddenly Alex had a flashback. When he and Charlotte were together, he was tickling her and she was smiling and laughing, and he woke up from that dream and looked up to find her smiling that same smile. His legs had gone numb, they always did when she smiled at him, or suggested a little bedtime game. Later that night he drove them both back to his place. They seemed shocked how tidy it was. "Well you've have changed Alex" Charlotte was the first to walk in, Alex was still getting the bags from the car. Jake walked in "Wow now that's what I call a TV!" stating the windscreen TV home cinema centre in his dad's livingroom. "Your father loves his rugby!" she said while examining the TV herself. Then there was the bang of a front door being closed, Alex walked in with the last of the bags and placed them on the floor next to the TV. "Well that's the last of them! Jake you can watch some television if you like" He picked up the remote and pointed it towards the TV. "There should be some kids channels on here somewhere...Ah there's one. Well you two sit down and relax." Cullen looked at the bags and one- by- one he picked them up and struggled to the stairs. "I'll take the bags upstairs to your room." When Alex got back downstairs his son and ex-girlfriend were sat on the sofa and watching some sort of program designed for kids, Cullen smiled. He has his family back under one roof- His roof, and there're safe and sound. He really wanted to just sit beside them and start kissing them like mad; certantly Charlotte he had never got over her, her brown eyes, mid-length brown hair, the way she smiled and laughed. Also she was the only one who knew how hard and demanding his job was. All the others including his family back home always shouted at him for staying late and never arriving to gatherings on time etc. But she understood and helped him out, which was why (except other things) he loved her. He loved her like no one else before he would do anything for her and their son. But she left him when she had a better offer, from a rich, handsome and charming man who was there at home nearly 24/7 he had his own company (that's how they met; she worked for him, as an assistant) he felt so cold when she went. She had left him a note telling him that it's over and they had grown apart over time. But he looked at them now and forgot the pain and coldness. "Sit next to us dad!" Jake looked at him with bright blue eyes "Please, come on" Alex sighed and sat next to Charlotte who moved away from him to make space on the tiny sofa opposite the TV. "Does anyone want anything to eat, ugh I should have some pasta or something here" Charlotte looked at him and indicated to her son to get off her lap, by raising her knees. "Yeah pasta's great we haven't had that in a while, I'll give you a hand, Jake you all right watching TV for a while? Me and your father will do something to eat!" Alex showed Charlotte towards the kitchen and got out the pan and the pasta, while Charlotte found the sauce and got the cheese from the fridge. "Just like old days huh Alex? Are you OK? You look really tired; you never had bags under your eyes. Not even when Jakey was a baby!" She finished finding the cheese grater and gave Alex the sauce. Alex put the sauce into a pan and started pouring water into another one. He turned to look at her and sighed, "You know how it is; work late and start early, it brings bags out of anyone. Well I'm OK from here - you can watch TV with Jake if you like?" "No it's fine, I'll grate the cheese, I know that you and Jake love melted cheese on your pasta!" Jake could be heard laughing from a distance, Alex and Charlotte looked at each other and smiled. "Jake hasn't laughed like that for ages, he's missed you Alex. You taking him to the park every weekend or spare time you had to teach him to play rugby." Charlotte looked at Alex who was stirring the sauce smiling. "Yeah and you always shouted at me for getting me clothes or Jakes clothes muddy!" Jake walked in the kitchen and noticed that both of his parents whom he loved dearly where laughing and smiling together. "Can I have a slice of cheese Mum?" Charlotte gave her son a tiny slice of cheese and he smiled and ran back into the living room, then she cut another slice and directed it towards Alex's mouth. Alex looked up to see this happening and tried to take the cheese from her, bur she moved away, she tried again and said "No, no open wide" He did as she said and she fed him the cheese. Alex smiled and went into the living room; he sat next to Jake and asked him what time he usually goes to bed. "About nine-ish Dad, why?" Alex was just about to say when Charlotte interrupted him "Alex can I have a work in the kitchen please?" She looked serious so Alex moved quickly "Alex if you think we are in the way just say, and we'll move on!" Charlotte stirred the sauce and turned the hob off. "I don't want you to think we're intruding Alex. That's the last thing I want, me and Jake will go flat hunting tomorrow - first thing; I swear!" He looked at her with pity; he walked behind her and stirred the sauce. He sighed and turned to Charlotte "I...I want you to say but...huh...It's complicated. With work and everything... One of the reasons you left was because I wasn't here for you and Jake. "Charlotte moved uneasy and leaned on a unit. "Charlotte I was a DS then I'm and DI now and I spend even less time at home..." "Alex we're not staying forever you know, I told you when I find somewhere else, me and Jake will go. So stop worrying, I think the pasta's done by now."  
  
**********  
  
"Dad, Dad wake up. Come on lazy bones!"  
  
Alex opened his eyes, totally forgetting what happened yesterday and totally forgot he had Jake and Charlotte back under his roof. Jake gave up shouting at him, and climbed on his king-size bed. "Dad, Dad. Wake up man, mum's cooking breakfast!" Jake was now jumping up and down on Alex's bed. Alex reached up and grabbed Jake around the legs and dropped him next to him. Then started tickling him, Jake burst into laughter and started to kick; trying to stop his dad. "What are you two like? I send you to wake him up and you two end up in a fight!" Alex stopped and told Jake to go and he'll catch him up. He looked at Charlotte who was still in the room. "Oh sorry Alex, are you naked under there?" "No... I'm wearing boxers!" Alex sat up in his bed still with the covers over him. "Or pity, I'd stay otherwise. Hurry up, your breakfast is getting cold!" Alex found his T-shirt and some old, could-be-dirty jeans. Put them on and made his way downstairs. "Oh, It's alive then!" Charlotte said laughing while Alex came in and sat down. Alex rubbed his tired eyes and look at Jake; who was eating his toast, Jake took his blue eyes off the breakfast and stared at his Dad for a while and kicked him under the table. "Ow you little sod!" Jake laughed "Mum, dad called me a naughty word" Charlotte just rolled her eyes and placed the cooked breakfast on the table in front of Alex. "Thanks!" Alex said as he smiled. After breakfast Alex went upstairs to get dressed and Charlotte and Jake got changed and started to pack. ""Mum why can't you and Daddy get back together?" Charlotte looked at her son who was sat on the bed putting his socks on. "He still likes you Mum, he told me yesterday!" Charlotte sat down on the bed next to him and stroked his hair, "darling me and your father are just friends now, OK. I know you want to spend more time with him, but it's too difficult now come on get dressed then we can go and find somewhere to live." Jake sat up straight and folded his arms, "NO! I want dad back, I want to live with dad and so do you!" Just then like clockwork Alex walked in and caught the last part of the discussion, but pretended that he didn't'. "I'm off to work now, so I'll see you later then" he smiles at them both, but when Charlotte looks away he winks at Jake to imply that he heard what they where talking about. Jake got the message and smiled. 


	2. Heart Of Gold Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: 'The Bill' characters depicted in this story are copyrighted to Thames Television/Pearson Corp  
  
Heart Of Gold P2  
  
The sun was shining, the sky was clear blue and there wasn't much crime reported last night. In the CID office Debbie, Kate, Danny, Duncan and Paul all sat at their desks working out some sort of never –ending paperwork. "Man, it's hot in here!" Danny stated while getting up to find a cup of water from the cooler. "That's because I'm in the room!" Kate said while stretching. Debbie laughed "Kate you are so cheesy I can smell you from here!" Debbie and the others laughed. Cullen walked in and glanced around at his non- working detectives. Then proceeded to his office. "Guv' the super's looking for you. He said it's important." Alex stopped, parallel to the frames of his office door. "Right. Thanks Debbie" He turned around, placed his briefcase at the edge of his doorframe, then one foot in front of the other he walked to the Superintendents office. Tom sat at his large desk, playing solitaire on his computer. There were two knocks on his door. "Yup come in!" Tom glanced up towards the open door. "Alex, come in mate. Take a seat." Alex walked further into his superior's office, closed the door then proceeded to sit in a comfy looking chair opposite the large desk. Tom stopped playing in his computer to then looked up towards Alex. "I just wanted to know if you'll OK, you know with yesterday and everything?" Alex stared at Tom. Blankly. He gave in. "A woman I was seeing a while back, who...um...who became pregnant by me." Alex suddenly felt nervous about his past and so he started playing with his fingers under the table. "She had a boy, my son Jake is six now." Alex took a large swallow and continued. "When he came here for my help how could I turn him down? He's my son, my own flesh and blood. I didn't want him when he was born, but I love his mother so much..." "Love?" Tom asked. "Huh?" "You said love! Not loved. So is that why you where so long yesterday." Tom gave his friend a playful look "Look Alex if you need some more time off, then you can! But if you don't I would really appreciate if you showed up to work on time, your forty -five minutes late. Jack needs you to sort out some old case files. He's gunna be in court today. All day." Tom looked down at his computer and moved the mouse to get rid of the screensaver. "So, off you go" On those words Alex stood up, put the chair nearer the desk then turned towards the door. Just as he opened the door Tom spoke once more. "Romeo" Alex gave him a stern look then proceeded. Tom shrugged the warning off and continued playing solitaire. While Alex made his way back to CID he couldn't help thinking about his reputation, no doubt Danny has told anyone, or any other of the officers there. How could he be so stupid. Raiding a house with no proper reason; just a small child with a tear in his eye... but it was his child. He lost all sense of time while thinking. He found himself sat at his desk, staring down at a pile of papers. "Guv', Guv'" Kate looked down at the deep-in-thought-DI, "Guv' are you alright" Alex looked up, "Kate I'm fine, would you please leave me alone...what makes you think I'm not alright?" Kate seemed amused by it all, "There is no door Guv'. You're sat at my desk" She was right. He was, he searched around him; no walls, no file cabinet and most of all no drinking bird behind him. He sighed, "Sorry Kate" Kate smiled, "That's alright, I don't mind if you wanna do my paperwork. I mean finders keepers..." "No. No I'm sure you would like to tackle Mount File on your own." Kate lost her smile and clenched her teeth, "Thanks Guv'!" Alex stood up and walked the golden mile to his cave, his church, his treehouse... his place of hideaway and freedom. His office. Once he had sat down, he began thinking again. It started to become a hobby, but it was a hobby that needed to be done. Like knitting, in the winter. Alex did as he was told and started on the case files: an old burglary, like when Mark stole Charlotte. No, no. Get her out of your head Alex! This when on for sometime, he would find a case and as an act of creativity he would find a resemblance to her. It got pretty old soon enough and he was forced to call home to see if she was fine. He picked up the black phone and dialled his number. Nervously. He got nothing but the answer phone, so he left a message, "Um... It...It's me Alex, uh, if your there Charlotte can you give me a ring on my mobile? The number is next to the phone. Well that's it, give me a call."  
  
*** ***  
  
It was the same. Open the door, sigh, place the car keys on a near by table, yawn, walk into kitchen and find a lager. But this time when he was about to walk back down the hallway and into the frontroom then he saw Jake. Alex's eye's lit up like Blackpool, or a swimming pool, as it was a very bright room and any more illumination would cause the sun to expand in competition. "Dad! Your home, me and Mummy tried to look for a home, but it's way too expensive, and mummy can't afford it, so we are back here again." Jake looked up at his tall father with the biggest smile on his face that Alex had ever seen. "Well that's good news" Alex looked around the room, "Where's your mother?" "In the bath, she fell down the stairs, after you left. She said that she had grazed her back or something. She looked like she was in a lotta' pain as well!" As Alex climbed the stairs: the nearer he got the more he heard Charlotte wince in pain. He knocked on the door, clearly, forcefully and quickly. Her voice came within the door, "Yes! Jake I'm nearly done. Give me a few more minutes then you can use the toilet!" Alex laughed, "Charlotte it's me Alex. Are you alright? Jake said that you had fallen down the stairs, are you injured badly?" He pressed his ear to hear her. Then she opened the door and a cloud of thick steam passed him. "Alex! I'm so sorry it's just I thought you were Jake. What's wrong?" Alex was mesmerised – Charlotte was wearing a towel. Just a towel, her brown hair was now even darker and resting lightly on her shoulders in a tangled mess as she wore a large light blue bath towel around her body. "Nothing! Nothing, so are you injured?" He watched her. She looked down at the floor then looked back up at him, "I feel so stupid, and to make it worse it really hurts, plus I can't reach most of it with the cream!" Charlotte turned around and loosened the towel so that you could see her back. Alex pulled the towel down a little bit more, only to see a large graze. A painful looking large graze. "Wow!" "Isn't it" "No I mean the site wow!" Charlotte giggled and put the towel back on. She heard laughter behind her so she turned around. But as she did she stepped on the edge of her towel. Falling over it and pulling it off her. She saw the floor and put her arms out to stop her. But she felt a warm embrace instead of a cold carpet floor. She looked up to see Alex holding her; she had fallen into his chest. She looked up as he looked down. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like eternity, until they heard Jack running up the stairs. They quickly pulled apart from each other. Alex leaned up against the wall as Charlotte picked up the towel, and ran into the bathroom, she had forgotten that she had been naked when Alex caught her. Well that made her feel more embarrassed. Jake reached the top of the stairs, "Mum, mum I still need to use the loo! Are you finished yet?" Charlotte opened the door once more, wearing the towel and holding her things, she nodded at Jake. "Thanks mum" Alex was still trying to come to facts when Charlotte spoke to him, "Thanks for holding me back there" Alex smiled. "Anytime" Charlotte smiled and turned towards her room, only realising what he had said when she placed her clothes on the bed. 'anytime'. 


End file.
